In an article entitled "Development of Integrated Semiconductor Crosspoint Switches and a Fully Electronic Switching System" by Michio Tokunaga et al, International Switching Symposium, Oct. 26, 1976, at Kyoto, Japan, Paper 221-4, there is illustrated a dielectrically isolated all solid-state high voltage switch having an n type bulk semiconductor body. A p+ type conductivity anode region is separated from a p+ type conductivity first gate region only by portions of the bulk of the body. The first gate region surrounds and contacts an n+ type conductivity cathode region. A second n+ type conductivity gate region exists in the semiconductor body and is located in a portion of the semiconductor body other than directly between the anode and first gate regions. The switch is turned on by injecting or extracting current from one of the gate regions. Once current flow between anode and cathode ceases, then the switch reverts to its normally off blocking state. One deficiency of this structure is that it is unable conveniently to interrupt existing substantial current flow between anode and cathode (the output terminals).
It is desirable to have an all solid-state switch much like the one described hereinabove, but in which it is possible to readily interrupt (cut off) existing substantial current flow between the output terminals thereof without having to change the potentials of the output terminals.